Governor Nasir El-Rufai says his administration will spend N1.6 billion on uniforms for schoolchildren in 2021 amidst demand of N800 million by Greenfield University students’ abductors.

According to him, over N800 million was spent on school uniforms for schoolchildren in selected classes in 2020, adding that it will increase the amount to N1.6 billion in 2021 to cover all classes.

Mr El-Rufai also revealed that Kaduna spent about N800 million on feeding students in the 31 boarding schools in the state.

Besides, the Kaduna government said it would spend a total of N1.7 billion in 2021 following the resumption of full academic activities in schools after months of COVID-19 lockdown, said the Kaduna government.

The Commissioner for Education, Shehu Makarfi, disclosed this on Monday.

Mr Makarfi added that in the past, parents paid N7,500 for feeding their children in boarding schools until its abolishment in 2019.

“We provided textbooks, learning materials, increased primary school enrollment, and budgeted N500 million annually to provide classroom furniture from 2015 to date.

“We have also constructed more classrooms, build more schools, and currently have 541 secondary schools and over 4,600 primary schools across the state.

“In tertiary education, we have funded our institutions to get accreditations for all their programmes, and the permanent site of the Kaduna State University is being developed at Rigachukun,” he explained.

(NAN)